Claude Perras's adopted daughter Ella granted Canadian citizenship

After months of waiting, Claude Perras’s adopted daughter, 19-month-old Ella, is now a Canadian citizen.

Claude Perras went to Sierra Leone last October to bring Ella to Canada. He said local authorities approved the adoption, but the Canadian government wouldn’t give Ella a visa.

At first, Perras thought the hesitation was because of the Ebola outbreak, but Citizenship and Immigration Canada had concerns about the legitimacy of the adoption, and requested more information.

That left Perras and Ella in limbo in Sierra Leone until today.

“I cannot tell you enough how happy I am,” Perras told CBC News. “I was crying this morning and I was telling my daughter ‘you are officially Canadian and we are going home.’ She was laughing and smiling.”

Perras said the news came as a surprise and he’s not sure what changed in the eyes of Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

He said the experience has left a bad taste in his mouth.

"I'm quite sour about the fact that they let me rot for almost 50 days in the middle of the Ebola outbreak."

Perras said now he’s waiting for a citizenship document and passport for Ella. He hopes to bring her home in March.